No post today. No ROW80 check-in today… I’m taking a break until my WIPpet post on Wednesday. I’m going to watch some GRIMM, read some of my ever-growing bookstack, write my JuNoWriMo and 750words daily minimums… and rest.
Why? Because I can’t think of anything concise to say today. Thoughts are everywhere and therefor nowhere. It’s Father’s Day, and there is so much there to consider…
Just me, saying “It’s Break Time”
Hardwick House
Last week I promised you more pictures my UK trip. I hope, by sharing these images you will see why I love the place so much and why it has been so inspirational for my writing. Not that I haven’t found magical places to inspire me pretty much everywhere I’ve gone, but England and Wales hold a special place for me.
So if it pleases you, come with for a virtual tour of Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire, England, and mid to northern Wales, ending at Criccieth Castle on the Irish Sea.
The Stable
White and Gilt
Looking Up
Inside Hardwick Hall
I see this door in stories
The murals were amazing
In the ruins after the underground passage
Would have loved to see this fountain working
Gates to the Castle
Beyond the Gate
Powis Trustees
Though More Gates
Deer on the hill
Peacock
and his lady friend
After Powis Castle, I paused in Welshpool for some lunch. These are day trips here after all, and I had a personal goal… to get to the shores of the Irish Sea before I had to turn back and pick up my husband from his job in Solihul just east of Birmingham. So I didn’t stop much…
Heading into Snowdonia
Little nest on a fence
Closeup of the waterfall–I was still on that road, camera zoomed as far as it would without using the optical zoom
Up on top of one of those hills hiking
Another waterfall
This is the field I found beyond that forest trail
and these are the folks that joined me on my walk toward the water
What looked like an old farmhouse, left to rot
I scurried the last bit along the drive to the coast. Though I’d originally hoped to make the ferry landing at Aberdaron, I stopped at Criccieth just so I could drive back to the Midlands before midnight (hey, that would make a great book title!) Though if I’d known about Torchwood then, I’d have forgone all other plans and headed straight for Cardiff. 
Irish Sea Ahead
I didn’t get to go into the castle–it was WELL after business hours
Looking up at from the shore
And a last view of Snowdonia as I headed back
What? Another WIPpet Wednesday?
Cool!
So here we are–the 12th of June. What do post, what to post….
How about 12 (fairly small) lines where ‘Ssellii finally gets to meet her brother?
‘Ssellii tried to remain calm. “That’s not what I meant, Uunsa. What magick is ‘Vesmai luu itau’? What does it—?” She stopped, realizing the words had once again worked their power, and this time her brother’s attention was for her, not the maid.
She realized in that moment that ‘Listii’s intense gaze was far more unnerving than she’d thought. Unlike Val, ‘Listii’s focus was direct, demanding answers…almost predatory in its determination. She felt her voice catch in her throat and swallowed.
And whatever ill thoughts she may have had toward the maid were banished as Uunsa broke the impasse and drew her brother’s attention from her to the state he was in.
‘Ssellii watched as the man looked at himself, where he was kneeling on the floor, and the disarray he was in. His eyes widened. Though he stayed silent, his gaze passed between both she and Uunsa accusingly. Then he made a rough, hurried attempt to rise and clean off his clothes and face with the cloth Uunsa held out for him.
If ‘Ssellii hadn’t known better, she would have said he looked exactly like a boy at the dinner table, one who had just been told he was still covered in stableyard debris and was now embarrassed and sullen.
Once standing, he didn’t leave the mess he’d made untouched, but slapped dashed the crumbs into a pile and scooped them on the plate. His cheeks were bright pink under the tan and grime. ‘Ssellii understood that this time ‘Listii recognized the state he had allowed himself to come to in his flight from the world. This time he wasn’t going to simply feel like this visit was an inconvenience solely for him.
‘Ssellii smiled. This time her brother got to see what he really was, not the suave gentleman he might play for Uunsa. And he couldn’t simply hide in some daydream from the truth.
Taking her direction from the way Uunsa had diverted his accusing gaze from her to his own predicament, she rose. “Thank you, ‘Listii. That is so much better.” She motioned to the seat next to her. “Would you please sit down now and talk with me? We really do have a lot to discuss before we start back on the road, don’t you think?”
Later, she figured, she would have to ask the servant what those words meant again. For now she did not intend to lose the attention ‘Listii was giving her as she’d lost it the last time.
So, while it grated that she could not simply tear into him for playing this game he was dragging her into, she considered Uunsa’s tone earlier. It had been questioning, curious more than anything, as if the woman had asked her brother where he’d been, what he’d been doing there…how the weather was perhaps!
She decided to start simple. “Do you know who I am?”
Those raven eyes flicked in her direction. Though he answered softly, she could feel his disdain in his very posture. “Vissellii Marea, my sister.”
So there you go… Hope you enjoyed it.
Inspired by K.L. Schwengel at My Random Muse #WIPpet writers post pieces of a draft (Work In Progress) that somehow relate with the date for commentary and consideration. Feel free to comment and visit other #WIPpeters. We love the company. (Update: regarding the origin of the WIPpet, KL Schwengel says she did not create them–she just resuscitated them. She credits Krista Walsh over at The Raven’s Quill for her introduction to the style… Hmm, internet mysteries.)
It’s been a pretty awesome couple of days. For those of you who saw my Sunday check-in, you know what I mean when I say that.
And for the record, the Boodle is pretty much back to where he was. Overnight is a bit hard at the moment (the age-old parenting dilemma of “do I let the child sleep knowing that they are going to wake up miserable because they should have been given something to reduce their pain, or do I wake the child, disturb their sleep and know they will wake up refreshed?” Oh.. and yeah–can I wake up at 3:30 in the morning without disturbing everyone else in the house?), but each day seems better and better.
I’m really glad we caught this in time. The doctors did end up diagnosing Lyme.
That news, has of course, been at the center of my mind these past few days. I did take a day of pretty much non-internet, non-writing related time for most of Sunday and Monday. For a bit of catharsis, I did manage to keep up to date on my 750words.com monthly challenge. And yesterday, I jumped right back into the swing of things with my JuNoWriMo writing sprints. My internet situation wasn’t great, but at the end of the day, I’d pulled in another 4118 words.
On the topic of word counts… Since the first of the month I have added over 30K to the Swan Song series, most of it on Courting. And they’ve been good words too. For example: I always had planned on including shapshifters in the story, and making one of my three main characters be one. Alanii, specifically… Thing was, I couldn’t think of a good spot to integrate that without making the story into something it wasn’t supposed to be.
Well, I found that spot, and Alanii now has discovered another part of who and what he is.
That’s all the good news. The rest of the news is… well, my social media presence has suffered. I maintained some minimal contact on both Facebook and Google Plus. I think I managed to visit everyone on the Sunday linky I was due to for my sponsor posts. I did hit (hope it wasn’t too hard) eight ROWers’ blogs, but I didn’t even touch all the people I wanted to see. I’m sorry I missed you guys. Hopefully soon!
And that’s about all I have for you…
The ROW80 Writing Challenge is the brainchild of author Kait Nolan who felt that, in a world of WriMos and FastDrafts, people who want become authors need something that promoted the daily habit of the writing life. Feel free to visit some of our other members here.
Posted in #WIPpet Wednesday, ROW80, Valistii, Writing samples
Tagged #Row80, #WIPpet, goals, good news, Listii, little pieces, writing
|
